Hogu Number Six — Chairman Richard
Before long, Chairman Choi and Director Park came down to the lobby, and the whole party was finally assembled.
Lawyer Smith and Chairman Wang Qianshu had never met before, so introductions and greetings ate up a little time, but it was nothing worth worrying about.
They arrived at the distribution company without delay, where an employee was waiting to receive Young-hoon's party.
Following him, they headed for the CEO's office on the forty-fifth floor of the building.
The moment the door opened, a hulking man who looked to be in his late sixties greeted Young-hoon's group with unmistakable warmth.
Chairman Wang Qianshu made the introductions between Young-hoon's party and the big man.
Richard, for his part, began talking to Young-hoon's party with the easy familiarity of someone who already knew them well.
"Welcome to New York. I'm Richard — I run a distribution group here in the city. You've no doubt heard about me through Chairman Steven of LA. Knowing him, he probably told you never, under any circumstances, to meet with me."
With a pleasant smile on his face, Chairman Richard pressed on.
"I'm well aware he considers me his rival. But I'm confident that once you get to know me, you'll change your mind. As for my distribution group — we operate some one hundred and twenty department stores and six hundred discount marts across the United States. Nationally, our market share in MS ranks first and second respectively, but in the eastern region, we hold the number one spot across the board."
Young-hoon thought to himself that this was no pushover, and kept listening intently as Chairman Richard continued.
"I know precisely what kind of business you conducted in LA, Representative Kim. So I'll skip the pleasantries and get straight to the point. I'd like you to extend the same opportunity to us."
Caught off guard by the blunt opening move, Young-hoon faltered for a moment. He hadn't even raised the subject yet, and this man was behaving as though he already knew everything. It was frankly fascinating.
"I imagine that's a bit startling to hear. It's technically a corporate secret, but since it's you, Representative Kim, I'll tell you. Chairman Steven is almost certainly receiving real-time reports on my meeting with your party right now. And I, for my part, have a surveillance system in place that lets me monitor his every move in real time as well."
Young-hoon had assumed that even with today's cutting-edge technology, a real-time surveillance apparatus would be difficult to maintain — so Richard's matter-of-fact delivery took him considerably by surprise.
"Then tell me, Chairman Richard — how much do you know about the conversation I had with Chairman Steven?"
"I can't say I know exactly what was said, word for word. But I do know that you discussed the effects of the liquor, coffee, and tea, and the terms of a potential deal. On top of that, I know about the elixir as well. Chairman Steven is a sly, vicious man. The fact that a man like that snapped up the business you proposed tells me he judged its chances of success at a hundred percent."
In any country in the world, rivals in the same line of business were bound to be on bad terms — but Young-hoon hadn't expected outright name-calling like sly and vicious. Richard, it seemed, was a man who preferred dealing in plain statements over speaking in circles.
"Speaking on the assumption that I already know everything you discussed with Chairman Steven — the liquor, coffee, and tea are currently being arranged for supply within the next year or so. After that, I'd like you to entrust distribution for the eastern United States to me."
"Thank you for such a generous offer. But we have requests of our own."
"Name them. As long as it's within my power, I'll happily accommodate anything you ask."
"First, we'd like the volume allocated to us to be larger than what Chairman Steven receives. And one more thing... I'd like you to sell me the elixir as well."
"Hmm. As for your first request — of course I have no intention of supplying you both the same volume. I plan to set the allocation based on market share. That strikes me as the fairest deal for you both."
Young-hoon took a steadying breath, then continued.
"As for your second request, I'd ask that you discuss it with Chairman Jang and Chairman Choi here. I'm the one who produces it, but the exclusive distribution rights belong to these two gentlemen."
With practiced ease, Young-hoon passed the ball to the two chairmen.
They had done this dance many times already, and the conversation flowed without a single hitch.
Chairman Jang and Chairman Choi, having been introduced, launched into their elixir sales pitch at Chairman Richard.
Before anyone noticed, the Wang brothers and Director Park had piled on as well, chiming in to advertise the elixir's miraculous effects.
Watching from the sidelines, Young-hoon couldn't help picturing the scene: grown men deftly distracting a mark and emptying his pockets, the way you'd twist the wrist of a seven-year-old child.
At some point, Chairman Richard began calling Chairman Jang and Chairman Choi hyung-nim — big brother — and in the end, a deal was struck at forty million dollars for the elixir.
And so Chairman Richard became the hogu little brother #6 of the two chairmen.
Young-hoon had no idea, though, why the Wang brothers and Director Park had thrown themselves into the salesmanship so enthusiastically. If they came around later asking for a discount on their own elixir purchases, how much would he have to knock off...
He decided to worry about that when the time came.
Once the discussion of the elixir purchase had been settled, Young-hoon pulled a bottle from his bag and handed it to Chairman Jang. Lawyer Smith then drew the contract from his briefcase and brought everything to a swift, seamless close.
Only after confirming that the funds had landed in the designated account did Chairman Jang finally pass the elixir into Chairman Richard's hands.
Richard, declaring he would test the effects immediately, ordered his secretary to bring wine glasses.
The 'Homecle' swindler crew, ever gracious, patiently walked him through the proper way to drink the elixir once again.
Young-hoon did his own bit of salesmanship too, serving Chairman Richard a cup of coffee blended with the magical herb powder.
The truth was, Chairman Richard had been on high alert long before Young-hoon's party ever set foot in America.
Chairman Wang Chenchen was opening lines to Chairman Michael in pursuit of his US expansion, but when it came to distribution, the man with a direct line to Chairman Wang Qianshu was Richard himself.
Naturally, he'd been able to gather a fair amount of intelligence.
He also knew exactly what business Young-hoon's party had conducted with Chairman Michael and Chairman Steven in LA.
Just as Steven had done, Richard had planted a spy on the other side and was receiving reports on their movements nearly in real time.
Then, last Monday, his surveillance caught Chairman Steven abandoning a meeting with a buyer and rushing off at Chairman Michael's summons.
When the spy reported that Steven had emerged from his meeting with Michael in conspicuously high spirits — quite unlike his usual self — Chairman Richard put his entire intelligence network into overdrive and managed to catch sight of Young-hoon's party inside Chairman Michael's office.
That very night, he slipped a spy into the party Chairman Michael was hosting — and the man was none other than Steven's own business partner.
Never once dreaming that his own partner was a mole planted by his rival, Chairman Steven drank himself into a jovial stupor and let the information slip free.
The next day, as the spy delivered his report — firsthand experience included — Richard noticed how much the man was struggling, and realized the elixir's effects were absolutely no exaggeration.
From that moment on, he had counted the days until Young-hoon's party arrived in New York.
He'd already secured a meeting through Chairman Wang Qianshu, but he'd sensed he needed a little more leverage.
So he had moved fast, reaching out and hastily summoning Chairman Wang Qianshu himself.
About an hour after Chairman Richard drank the elixir, sure enough, the signal began to arrive.
Chairman Choi, catching on, asked with a sly grin.
"Well? Signals coming in nice and steady, aren't they?"
"Yes, hyung-nim. There's definitely a signal coming in — it's astonishing. I hardly recognize it as my own. It feels like it's grown at least one and a half times bigger than it was in my prime!"
"Heh heh. So we understand each other, don't we? Now then, little brother... what does your schedule look like today?"
Chairman Richard caught Chairman Choi's meaning instantly.
He'd drunk the elixir himself, after all — today he was going to have to run the marathon no matter what. And since he already knew exactly how these men had played in LA, he had made thorough preparations in advance.
"Of course, hyung-nim. Your little brother has everything arranged and ready to go."
Chairman Choi's face lit up.
"Little brother, listen. If your hospitality today doesn't measure up... well, you can imagine the rest for yourself."
"You have my word. I've prepared something even hotter than LA, so rest easy."
"Good. Then we're in your hands, little brother."
And with that, the purpose of Young-hoon's business trip to America was fully accomplished.
The eastern United States would receive liquor and beverages through Chairman Richard, while the western region would be handled by Chairman Steven.
Five Girls' American debut, too, would proceed smoothly.
With Chairman Wang's full cooperation, the plan was to expand their sphere of influence step by step, using the PBS network as their foothold.
Finally, for the drama Young-hoon was producing, Shanghai TV would purchase the rights for China and PBS would take the rights for the western United States.
Lawyer Smith had taken Young-hoon's drama script with him, but since there was no telling when feedback might come, the eastern US market was put on hold for the moment.
With all business wrapped up, Young-hoon's party was free to do nothing but enjoy themselves on a wide-open schedule.
The only exception was Chairman Wang Chenchen, who would have to wait another day or two until his acquisition negotiations with PBS concluded.
Now switched fully into tourist mode, Young-hoon's party joined Chairman Richard for a hearty lunch at Jean-Georges — famously the most expensive Michelin three-star restaurant in New York.
A steak savored on American soil carried its own special flavor, sure enough.
Having eaten Korean food the day before, they took to the Western fare without the slightest reluctance.
After filling their stomachs to their satisfaction, they toured the department stores and discount marts that Chairman Richard operated.
As a commemoration of the visit, Richard showered Young-hoon's party with luxury gifts — designer bags, watches, and more.
And then, at long last, the eagerly awaited evening arrived.
In a glittering banquet hall, each member of Young-hoon's party was introduced to his partner, and they threw themselves into their New York vacation with abandon.
If the partners in LA had been free-spirited, bold beauties, the ones here in New York carried a distinctly intellectual air.
And there was a special thrill, too, in watching those aloof expressions melt into flushed faces as the games began.
The PBS acquisition talks spilled past Saturday and closed on Sunday.
Bringing their delightful New York holiday to an end, Young-hoon's party departed for LA on Sunday afternoon, seeing off at the airport by Chairman Richard.
True to form, a seventh round broke out mid-flight — though this time, the Korean team managed to recoup some of its losses.
The mood had been sinking under the Korean players' string of defeats, so Chairman Wang had most likely let them win on purpose.
When they arrived at LAX, Chairman Michael and Chairman Steven were there to greet them.
Both men looked far more vigorous and full of life than when they'd first met.
There was a fresh glow to their faces — it seemed they were reaping the full benefits of the elixir.
Chairman Michael, delighted to see Young-hoon's party, took one look at Chairman Jang and Chairman Choi and rejoiced like a man reunited with long-lost brothers.
At the banquet Chairman Steven hosted afterward, they met their previous partners again and savored every minute.
Chairman Wang Chenchen stepped away to sign the PBS acquisition contract with Chairman Michael, but Young-hoon's party burned their final reserves of passion straight through to the next morning.
At last, having accomplished every objective of their American journey, Young-hoon's party boarded the flight home to Korea, bringing their grueling ten-day, nine-night odyssey to a close.
And during the flight, the final match of the Oriental painting tournament unfolded.
...The Wang brothers won again, naturally.
Young-hoon's final record stood at eight rounds: two wins, six losses.
He was out roughly thirty dollars.
The biggest loser was Director Park, at one win and seven losses in eight rounds, down nearly nine hundred dollars.
Chairman Jang and Chairman Choi posted identical records — one win, seven losses in eight — though they'd lost slightly less than Director Park.
By the time they landed in Korea, it was Tuesday afternoon.
It had definitely been Monday when they departed — they'd somehow managed to lose a day along the way.
They parted ways with the Wang brothers of China, promising to meet again another time.